What is Testosterone?

Testosterone is the male sex hormone tied to and vital in reproductive development and libido. Women produce testosterone as well, but in significantly less quantities than men.

When a young man arrives at puberty, testosterone kicks in and his voice gets deeper and facial and body hair appear. Testosterone is vital to preserving muscle mass, sperm production and a healthy libido.

Women also produce testosterone, but at a level around 15% of what a man’s normal level would be. Higher levels of testosterone in women can result in significant infertility issues, facial hair, severe acne, difficulties with menstrual cycles and obesity.

The brain works like a conductor – sending out signals and delegating duties to other parts of the body. Testosterone production is regulated by the pituitary gland. In fact, the pituitary gland is in charge of a number of hormonal checks and balances in the body. We find it in the very center of our brain.

Essentially, the brain sends out a memo, notifying the pituitary gland that it needs to produce more testosterone, as the brain will usually recognize hormonal imbalances. The pituitary then notifies the testes to get to work actually producing the hormone.

It’s a simplistic explanation, but you get the idea.

Occasionally, a man’s body will not produce enough testosterone. This can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the communication between the brain and the pituitary gland and the testes just doesn’t work as it should. When this happens, men will likely have to deal with a variety of symptoms of what is known as “Low T”.

These symptoms can include – and men can suffer with some or all of these:

Low or very low sex drive (which is NOT the same as erectile dysfunction)
Decrease or atrophy of muscle mass
Gains in body fat
Moodiness or depression
Fatigue

Testosterone production and levels are known to lessen as a man ages. Levels of this hormone can vary widely from man to man, and even vary from morning to evening. If a man measures at a level below 300, and he is exhibiting symptoms such as a lack of sex drive and/or unusual fatigue with no other causes, his health care professional will likely treat for Low T.

 

5 Symptoms of Low Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone (steroid hormone) from the androgen group. It is majorly found in mammals where it is secreted in the ovaries of females and testes of males. Small amounts are however also secreted by the adrenal glands. It plays a key role in men; development of testes, prostate as well as the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In healthy development, testosterone also helps in prevention of osteoporosis.

Low testosterone, also referred to as hypogonadism, is a medical condition caused due to decreased levels of testosterone production. It is a condition that may occur in both males and females but it affects mostly men over the age of forty five. Hypogonadism can be caused by failure in signal transmission or communication between the testes and the brain. In the brain, the specific part that is concerned with testosterone production is the hypothalamus. Whenever the hypothalamus fails to signal the testes to manufacture testosterone, the level of this hormone will greatly reduce within the body. Low testosterone can be caused by injury or infection and can also be hereditary.

Signs and Symptoms of Low Testosterone

The hypogonadism condition manifests or presents itself in a number of varied ways. These include sexual dysfunction (low sex drive, erection problem), hair loss, mood change, lack of energy and gynecomastia. These are the major symptoms of low testosterone that we are going to look into deeply since they are the most common.

Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, low sex drive (low libido) are terms which can be interchangeably used to refer to a situation where the patient develops a drastically reduced sexual desire or has fewer and weaker erections. The interest in sex tends to fade away.

Hair Loss
Hair loss is common among the patients suffering from low testosterone count. Whenever hypogonadism occurs at the puberty stage, poor development of pubic hair, facial and body hair in general is common. The patient will continue having a “baby face,” and no signs of adolescence will be seen. At adulthood, beard growth will reduce when the condition sets in.

Mood Changes
This is also referred to as a mood swing, whereby rampant cases of mood fluctuations are evidenced. For example, one can be happy then all of a sudden, he becomes depressed or irritated with no concrete reason or cause. It is most common when the condition occurs in old age.

Lack of Energy
This is a case whereby the patient or the victim will constantly be in a state of feeling weak. He will tend to opt for staying idle rather than finding something to do. The productivity of the person even at the work place will greatly reduce.

Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia, also known as man boobs, is a case where a male develops big breasts like a female. It can either be caused by being overweight or having a hormonal imbalance. When estrogen and androgen levels lose balance, excess estrogen can cause gynecomastia to set in. Luckily, there are many natural methods on how to get rid of man boobs.

What is Aromatase?

Aromatase is an enzyme compound. It is also called estrogen synthase or estrogen synthetase. This enzyme is the primary component in catalyzing estrogen production. It is recognized as one of the cytochrome P450 superfamily so it is considered as a type of enzyme that contains oxygen and hydrogen atom that can affect the catalyze steroids. In simpler terms, aromatase is the key component in converting androgen steroid compounds into estrogens.

Functions of Aromatase

Aromatase are compounds found in the cells which is regularly synchronized with the promoters found in the genes and other components found in cytokines, hormones and other parts of the cells. It is the particular compound that specializes in the natural synthesis of androgens to estrogens. It is a process that converts testosterone to estradiol and androstenedione to estrone. It typically comprises a series of hydroxylations in the 19 methyl groups of androgens, then removal of methyl group as formate and finally the A-ring aromatization.

Aromatase and Body Building

It is widely known that there are some body builders and even some athletes that take supplements in the form of steroids in order to keep up with the rigorous training and at the same time, acquire desired results in a shorter span of time. These steroids promote increased production of testosterones and other male-specific hormones that promote bigger and leaner muscles, stronger bones and lasting stamina. But these steroids are typically only recommended at certain length of time; body builders and athletes who take them have to go on a process called cycles so that the steroids will always be effective. However, in some cases, stronger types of steroids may cause some effects to the body that when stopped, it triggers the body to produce estrogen through increased aromatase production. So it is recommended that body builders and athletes use aromatase inhibitors while on a cycle.

Aromatase Inhibitors

These compounds reduce the rate in which aromatase is produced in the body through hypoestrogenism. In fact, it has been a known process to help out patients with breast cancer who were identified to have positive estrogen receptors. Letrozole, originally called Femara, is one of the well known aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer.

In line with the usage of steroids for body building, aromatase inhibitors are usually recommended to avoid reversing the effects and efforts put during the time they were both taking steroids and doing extensive work outs.

There are several sources for aromatase inhibitors and these supplements must be taken in moderation. Breast cancer patients are typically prescribed one if needed and the dosage must be taken by the letter. Same goes for people who were taking steroids and wants to take aromatase inhibitors, they should consult specialists first to make sure that they do not have conditions that may cause conflicts when they take a certain brand or type of aromatase. Keep in mind that the dosage must be maintained and proper precautions must be done even before starting one. This is both for safety purposes and for the efficiency of the drug.

The Truth About Progesterone for Men

Progesterone is an endocrine hormone responsible for the development of the ovarian follicle. This hormone stimulates the maturity of follicles as a preparation for possible pregnancy. Moreover, it works with luteinizing hormone (a female hormone) responsible for the development of the mammary gland.

The mammary gland secretes a substance in a form of milk. The amount of progesterone in the bloodstream can influence the activities of mammary glands. As a result, it becomes prominent to women during the gestation or lactating period. However, this hormone is not uncommon to men, as well.

As a matter of fact, there are rare cases of men known to suffer from the effects of progesterone. It may sound abnormal but progesterone for men may occur.

What is Progesterone and Its Effect on the Male Body?

Progesterone in men has been underestimated by most medical cases. However, this hormone mimics the effect of testosterone. In addition, the amount of progesterone in men is most likely similar to women. In this case, men with variably high level of progesterone may manifest the following symptoms:

Alopecia is characterized by hair balding. Several medical experts in Canada found out that men with high level of progesterone can bind and dump the testosterone in the blood. The higher amount of progesterone in a man’s bloodstream, the lower amount of testosterone level exists. Eventually, this can affect the normal function of the male sex hormone which includes baldness.

Poor Libido or Sexual Drive – Testosterone is a stimulating hormone that can hasten a man’s sexual drive. In an event that this hormone goes down beyond the normal level may also affect the person’s libido. Several cases of erectile dysfunction or infertility are common to men with high progesterone level.

High potential risk for developing prostate cancer – Since the effect of progesterone in men dumps the testosterone, the testes undergo a supportive mechanism. With the help of the hypothalamus, the gland over secretes a hormone to stimulate the testes for producing testosterone. However, too much stimulation of the testes can lead to scarring of the prostate tissues. If this scenario continues to manifest then the possibility of getting prostate cancer is significant.

Aside from these three organic diseases caused by high levels of progesterone, men with this abnormality are at risk of developing breast tumors. It is characterized by a single or multiple palpable mass in the breast area, which may be described as fat lobules. However, it is painless and becomes imminent in the later period. Consultation by your physician and early diagnosis can help determine the current health condition.

This recommendation can also prevent the possibilities of complications including cancer. Furthermore, it will be advantageous to men because this can give them ideas on how to practice the preventive measures for hormonal-related problems.

A Closer Look at Estrogen in Men

Estrogen is a sexual hormone responsible for the development of secondary female characteristics. Along with progesterone, these endocrine hormones play an important role for the ovulation, lactation, and preparation for pregnancy. However, estrogen is not exclusive for women.

As a matter of fact, men have estrogen too. Physiologically, this hormone is produced by the female ovaries. Through the stimulation of the hypothalamus (master gland in the brain), it releases a specific enzyme that targets the ovary to produce estrogen. This hormone creates several physiologic manifestations in the body.

Women may have improved mammary gland (formation of breast), menstrual period, and the production of follicles (preparation for possible pregnancy). But how can this hormone affect the normal bodily functions of men? What if estrogen level is variably high in a man’s system? These questions can momentarily let someone think about the possible outcomes of estrogen in men.

How Can Estrogen Affect Men’s Health?

Similar to women, men also experience the process of menopause. However, this manifestation does not mimic the signs and symptoms in women. Men do not menstruate, but they are expected to encounter the physiologic signs of menopause. Basically, men produce a specific type of sexual hormone.

This hormone is known as testosterone. It is responsible for the development of secondary male characteristics and the formation of sperm cells. However, a man’s body contains an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. This enzyme is called aromatase. The amount of aromatase in the body depends on the level of testosterone.

It means that if a man’s testosterone level is high, the amount of aromatase is high, as well. As a result, the level of estrogen will be significantly higher too. This can cause several abnormal bodily changes in a man’s system including the possible formation of some female characteristics.

What are the Possible Effects of Estrogen in Men?

The normal level of estrogen for men should range between 250 – 990 pg/ml only. If the level goes beyond the normal range, the following symptoms may appear:

Gynecomastia is a medical disorder characterized by increasing size of breast in men. Similar to women, men may have a bigger chest and protruding nipples. Want to know how to get rid of gynecomastia? Lowering estrogen levels and getting hormones back in balance (androgen/estrogen) is where you should start.

Increased chance of heart problems – Estrogen level affects the normal circulation of blood. It is also responsible for the normal conduction of electrical impulses in the heart. Too high estrogen level can increase the heart load, which may lead to possible cardiac problems.

Lower sex drive – Testosterones that are converted into estrogen can greatly affect the libido of men.

These are the common effects of estrogen to men. Ideally, men should consult their doctor to check the level of their estrogen. Moreover, recommendations such as limiting of alcohol intake, avoidance of soy-containing products, and taking of zinc supplements can reduce the amount of estrogen in the blood.